Yes! Yes! YESSSS!!!!
After one and a half years' blood, sweat, and tears, my Stag is back on the
road! Just wanted to share my elation with the list. Took my baby on the
highway for the first time in over a year today. Unfortunately, after all
my work, I wanted to let the little V-8 really unwind, but I ran into a
six-cop speed trap. Go figure.
The rumble of the exhaust, the wind screwing up my hair, the joy of
flicking the overdrive switch at 70 mph. . . Ahhhhhhh.
I haven't gone too much into what all has been involved in the Stag
rebuild, but suffice it to say that, due to lack of available parts, it is
no longer a car but a multimedia piece of art. In fabricating the
impossible to find pieces, I've learned welding, intricate hand painting,
ceramics, sculpture, and woodworking. I've done all the work myself,
including fabricating my own carpet set and upholstery. And now it's
drivable again!
The greatest part about driving a Stag in the midwestern United States is
the rubbernecking. Passing pedestrians and other drivers, I get a lot of
"What the hell is that?" looks. I've even been pulled over several times
by people wanting to know what I was driving. But that was when it had a
gazillion hail dents, four colors of paint, and a lovely impression in one
wing from the tree that fell on it. And now, $7,000 worth of body work and
paint later, it's not only unusual but beautiful.
Now, knocking on the new wood dash, I'm going to drive it every day, as
long as I can keep it running!
Bret A. Cravens
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